The Chick and the Dead

This is another great paranormal cozy from Casey Daniels. In the second installment of the Pepper Martin series, the Chick and the Dead, this was when Pepper dealt with a ghost from the 50s who needed to cross over. She needed Pepper to help solve her murder and why she lost her life. While Pepper needed more rent money, she agreed to take the role of a secretary and searched around a family tree of hidden secrets to get the answer to the truth. It dealt with a lot of drama,  action, conflict and a hint of romance between Pepper and Quinn, set in my hometown region of Cleveland Ohio.

This is another great cozy series with a light ghost stories. I loved how each central ghost had come from a different time zone. Talk about the blast from the past! I became concerned about Pepper, when she dealt with another unhappy ghost and still recovering from her head injury. I do love the chemistry between Quinn and Pepper, when she'd gotten closer to the truth about this ghost's cold case. An easy read to enjoy anytime for a good cozy read.

Ready to enter the time warp again? Check out a cozy today! 

I Do I really do

If you like chick lit and romances in a light read, you'll enjoy Cara Lockwood's I Do But I Don't. It's about Lauren, a wedding planner, who needs a love life, and finds it unexpectedly at her doorstep and during week. There's a bundle of humor here too. This isn't for the faint of heart. But dream big for your wedding dreams. This is a great romance to re-read too and fall in love with them too.

An Island of Secrets

If you like great mysteries set in Britain, you'll enjoy The Lighthouse by PD James. This deals with a mystery on a fictional island, and ends up with secrets and past history, all dealing with the island and the general. Throw it the SARS epidemic and another murder to spice up the plot. This is my second book I've read in the series, though out of order. Sink your teeth into this juicy mystery.

And Only to Deceive

If you love historical romances with a hint of suspense, you'll love And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander. Set in Victorian England, Lady Emily Ashton mourned the loss of her late husband of six months who died in an African safari, right after her wedding. Now two years later, she learned new shocking details on the man she thought she knew and had married. By delving into Philip's journals, she became fascinated in Greek artifacts. On her pursuit for the truth, she had two suitors who want her hand, one of them was Colin, her late husband's friend. She became a bit suspicious of him, as he had every intention on making her fall in love with him, and discovering who he really was, as a prospectus new romance and love triangle bloomed ahead of her. The closer she learned more about the truth, new surprises turned up along the way. With every twist and turn, even in France, this would keep you at the edge of the seat, rooting for her on every page. This is a must new read for this series.

This was a wonderful introduction to the historical suspense/thriller series. I loved the Victorian feel in England for time period. I also loved the scenes in Egypt, too. I did feel sorrow for Lady Emily and became intrigued into her story to find justice for her husband. I did feel a sense of chemistry for Emily and Colin to get together. Everyone was suspect for her. I loved how her family backed her up, when she was grieving and angry. This sent goosebumps and chills down my spine with a warm soothing sensation afterwards. This was a perfect cross-genre blend of historical romance and thriller.  Great suspense, excellent intrigue, and good dramatic action, too.

Don't be deceived! Go out and cherish this novel today!

Swiss Lions

This is my second political thriller I've read this year. This is partially set in Switzerland and the rest is in the USA. Great vivid scenery and history of Switzerland, it makes me want to visit the country. From a conspiracy theory to a shocking twist in the end, this makes you want to hold onto your hat. Plenty of drama, action, suspense for this Scot Harvath series to make me want to read more every year. It's grrreeeaaattt!

Cold case... close to home

If you love a good mystery and cold cases, you'll love A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read. This is set in New York with a decades old mystery. The lead, Madeline Dare, (don't you love her maiden name?) gathers clues that leads to people she knew. And I'm not going to use a spoiler to tell you who, until you read it for yourself. She also deals with a dysfunctional family with quirky names and a husband who she sees on and off from work in Canada. This is a hit for a first novel. It makes you ask, Whodunit? Get your magnifying glasses out.

Love has no boundaries

This isn't on my TBR list. But since I joined my condo's book club last month, this was the first pick: Oh my Stars by Lorna Landvik. I had to admit, I liked it. It's a must read for all book clubs to discuss. This deals with a cross-country trip, racism and segregation, love, life, music, the Depression and World War II and fast forward more in time to Violet, who narrates each chapter, to the final chapter of the book. It's bittersweet and requires all readers to carry a hanky for this journey of life, love, music and death.